Based on analysis of multiple outside rankings, Crapo is one of the most reliable Republican votes, meaning he can be considered a safe vote for the Republican Party in Congress.

Biography

Crapo was born in Bonneville County, ID, in 1951. He graduated from Idaho Falls High School in 1969. After that, Crapo attended and graduated from Brigham Young University Summa Cum Laude, with a B.A. in Political Science in 1973. In 1977, Crapo graduated from Harvard Law School, Cum Laude Juris Doctorate.[1]

Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Crapo's academic, professional and political career:[2]

Key votes

113th Congress

The second session of the 113th Congress enacted into law 114 out of the 3,036 introduced bills (3.8 percent). Comparatively, the 112th Congress had 4.2 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session.[6] The Senate confirmed 13,949 out of 18,323 executive nominations received (76.1 percent). For more information pertaining to Crapo's voting record in the 113th Congress, please see the below sections.[7]

National security

John Brennan CIA nomination

Crapo voted against the confirmation of John Brennan as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The nomination was confirmed by the Senate on March 7, 2013, with a vote of 63 - 34. Most Democrats supported the nomination, while Republicans were somewhat divided with roughly one-third supporting the nomination.[8]

Economy

Farm bill

On February 4, 2014, the Democratic controlled Senate approved the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, H.R. 2642, also known as the Farm Bill.[9] It passed the Senate with a vote of 68-32. The nearly 1,000-page bill reformed and continued various programs of the Department of Agriculture through 2018. The $1 trillion bill expanded crop insurance for farmers by $7 billion over the next decade and created new subsidies for rice and peanut growers that will kick in when prices drop; however, cuts to the food stamp program cut an average of $90 per month for 1.7 million people in 15 states.[10] Crapo joined with 19 other Republicansenators in favor of the bill.

2014 Budget

On January 16, 2014, the Democratic-controlled Senate approved H.R. 3547, a $1.1 trillion spending bill to fund the government through September 30, 2014.[11][12] The Senate voted 72-26 for the 1,582 page bill, with 17 Republicans and 55 Democrats voting in favor of the bill.[12] The omnibus package included 12 annual spending bills to fund federal operations.[13] It increased the paychecks of federal workers and military personnel by 1 percent, increased Head Start funding for early childhood education by $1 billion, reduced funding to the Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency, and left the Affordable Care Act without any drastic cuts.

Budget Proposal

“It doesn’t appear to be something I will likely support,” Crapo said. “It’s pretty light on entitlement reform and the entitlement reform that’s done is not structural. It doesn’t do anything to actually change or fix that. We’re looking now to see if it can pass the Congress.”[14]

Government shutdown

During the shutdown in October 2013, the Senate rejected, down party lines, every House-originated bill that stripped the budget of funding for the Affordable Care Act. A deal was reached late on October 16, 2013, just hours before the debt ceiling deadline. The bill to reopen the government, H.R. 2775, lifted the $16.7 trillion debt limit and funded the government through January 15, 2014. Federal employees also received retroactive pay for the shutdown period. The only concession made by Senate Democrats was to require income verification for Obamacare subsidies.[15] The final vote on H.R. 2775 was 81-18, with all 18 votes against the bill from Republican members. Crapo voted with the Republican Party against the bill.[16]

No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013

Crapo voted against H.R.325 -- No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013. The bill passed the Senate on January 31, 2013, with a vote of 64 - 34. The purpose of the bill was to temporarily suspend the debt ceiling and withhold the pay of members of Congress until a budget could be passed. The vote largely followed party lines with Democrats overwhelmingly supporting it and many Republicans in opposition to the bill.[8]

Immigration

Mexico-U.S. border

Crapo voted for Senate Amendment 1197 -- Requires the Completion of the Fence Along the United States-Mexico Border. The amendment was rejected by the Senate on June 18, 2013, with a vote of 39 - 54. The purpose of the amendment was to require the completion of 350 miles of fence described in the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 before registered provisional immigrant status may be granted. It would also require 700 miles of fence be completed before the status of registered provisional immigrants may be changed to permanent resident status. The vote followed party lines.[8]

Social issues

Violence Against Women (2013)

Crapo voted for S.47 -- Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013. The bill was passed by the Senate on February 12, 2013, with a vote of 78 - 22. The purpose of the bill was to combat violence against women, from domestic violence to international trafficking in persons. All 22 dissenting votes were cast by Republicans.[8]

Previous congressional sessions

Fiscal Cliff

Crapo voted for the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. The bill was passed in the Senate by an 89 - 8 vote on January 1, 2013.[20]

Issues

On The Issues Vote Match

On The Issues conducts a VoteMatch analysis of elected officials based on 20 issue areas. Rather than relying on incumbents to complete the quiz themselves, the VoteMatch analysis is conducted using voting records, statements to the media, debate transcripts or citations from books authored by or about the candidate. Based on the results of the quiz, Crapo is a Moderate Conservative. Crapo received a score of 32 percent on social issues and 61 percent on economic issues.[21]

On The Issues organization logo.

The table below contains the results of analysis compiled by staff at On The Issues.

Note: Information last updated: 2014.[21] If you notice the rating has changed, email us.

National security

Letter to Iran

On March 9, 2015, Senator Tom Cotton wrote a letter to Iran's leadership, warning them that signing a nuclear deal with the Obama administration without congressional approval was merely an "executive agreement". The letter also stated that "The next president could revoke such an executive agreement with the stroke of a pen and future Congresses could modify the terms of the agreement at any time." The letter was signed by 47 Republican members of the Senate. Crapo was one of the 47 who signed the letter. No Democrats signed it.[23]

The letter caused intense backlash from both the Obama administration and the public. Vice President Joe Biden said of the letter, "In thirty-six years in the United States Senate, I cannot recall another instance in which senators wrote directly to advise another country — much less a longtime foreign adversary — that the president does not have the constitutional authority to reach a meaningful understanding with them."[24] On Twitter, the hashtag "47Traitors" became the top trending topic in the world, and a debate raged as to whether the 47 who signed the letter were traitors or patriots.[25]

Drones filibuster

On March 6, 2013, Senator Rand Paul (R) led a 13-hour filibuster of President Obama's CIA Director nominee, John Brennan. Paul started the filibuster in order to highlight his concerns about the administration's drone policies. In particular, Paul said he was concerned about whether a drone could be used to kill an American citizen within the United States border, without any due process involved. Paul and other civil liberties activists criticized President Obama for not offering a clear response to the question. A total of 14 senators joined Paul in the filibuster -- 13 Republicans and one Democrat.[26][27][28]

According to the website Breitbart, Crapo was one of 30 Republican senators who did not support the filibuster.[29][30]

The day after the filibuster, Attorney General Eric Holder sent a letter to Paul, responding to the filibuster. Holder wrote, "Does the president have the authority to use a weaponized drone to kill an American not engaged in combat on U.S. soil? The answer to that is no."[31]

Controversy

DUI Arrest

On December 23, 2012, Crapo was arrested in Alexandria, Virginia, and charged with allegedly driving while under the influence of alcohol. Alexandria police pulled Crapo over after running a red light at 12:45 A.M. He failed several sobriety tests and was taken into custody. He was released from jail later that morning on $1,000 bond. Following the incident Crapo said, "I am deeply sorry for the actions that resulted in this circumstance. I made a mistake for which I apologize to my family, my Idaho constituents and any others who have put their trust in me. I accept total responsibility and will deal with whatever penalty comes my way in this matter. I will also undertake measures to ensure that this circumstance is never repeated." In prior interviews, Crapo had stated he abstains from alcohol, in accordance with his Mormon faith.[32][33][34][35]

Crapo pleaded guilty during his trial on January 4, 2013. He was ordered to pay a fine of $250, complete an alcohol safety course and had his driver's license suspended for a year. The prosecutors dropped the charge for failing to obey a traffic signal in exchange for his guilty plea. It was also made clear that as long as he remained on good behavior, he wouldn't have to serve a 180-day jail sentence. After his court appearance, he acknowledged that he had been drinking alcohol from time to time over the past year, which is in violation of his Mormon faith. He went on to say, "I will carry through on appropriate measures for forgiveness and repentance in my church."[36]

Elections

2010

On November 2, 2010, Crapo (R) won re-election to the United States Senate. He defeated P. Tom Sullivan (D), Randy Lynn Bergquist (I) and Frederick R. Reinisch, Jr (I) in the general election.[37]

U.S. Senate, Idaho General Election, 2010

Party

Candidate

Vote %

Votes

Republican

Mike CrapoIncumbent

71.2%

319,953

Democratic

P. Tom Sullivan

24.9%

112,057

Constitution Party

Randy Lynn Bergquist

3.9%

17,429

Independent

Frederick R. Reinisch, Jr

0%

91

Total Votes

449,530

Full history

To view the full congressional electoral history for Mike Crapo, click [show] to expand the section.

2004

On November 2, 2004, Mike Crapo won re-election to the United States Senate. He defeated Scott F. McClure (I) in the general election.[38]

U.S. Senate, Idaho General Election, 2004

Party

Candidate

Vote %

Votes

Republican

Mike Crapoincumbent

99.2%

499,796

Write-in

Scott F. McClure

0.8%

4,136

Total Votes

503,932

1998

On November 3, 1998, Mike Crapo won election to the United States Senate. He defeated Bill Mauk (D) and George J. Mansfeld (Natural Law) in the general election.[39]

U.S. Senate, Idaho General Election, 1998

Party

Candidate

Vote %

Votes

Republican

Mike Crapo

69.5%

262,966

Democratic

Bill Mauk

28.4%

107,375

Natural Law

George J. Mansfeld

2.1%

7,833

Total Votes

378,174

Campaign donors

Fundraising events

The below chart from Find The Best tracks the fundraising events Crapo attends.

Comprehensive donor history

Comprehensive donor information for Crapo is available dating back to 2004. Based on available campaign finance records, Crapo raised a total of $7,492,217 during that time period. This information was last updated on April 3, 2013.[40]

PGI: Change in net worth

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Crapo's net worth as of 2012 was estimated between $215,019 and $1,528,999. That averages to $872,009, which is lower than the average net worth of Republican senators in 2012 of $6,956,438.47. Crapo ranked as the 66th most wealthy senator in 2012.[41] Between 2004 and 2012, Crapo's calculated net worth[42] decreased by an average of 2 percent per year. Between 2004 and 2012, the average annual percentage increase for a member of Congress was 15.4 percent.[43]

Comparatively, the American citizen experienced a median yearly decline in net worth of -0.94%.[45]

The data used to calculate changes in net worth may include changes resulting from assets gained through marriage, inheritance, changes in family estates and/or trusts, changes in family business ownership and many other variables unrelated to a member's behavior in Congress.

PGI: Donation Concentration Metric

Filings required by the Federal Election Commission report on the industries that give to each candidate. Using campaign filings and information calculated by OpenSecrets.org, Ballotpedia calculated the percentage of donations by industry received by each incumbent over the course of his or her career (or 1989 and later, if elected prior to 1988). In the 113th Congress, Crapo was the ranking Republican member of the United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Crapo received the most donations from individuals and PACs employed by the Securities & Investment industry.

From 1991-2014, 21.77 percent of Crapo's career contributions came from the top five industries as listed below.[46]

Lifetime voting record

According to the website GovTrack, Crapo missed 113 of 4,556 roll call votes from January 1999 to August 2014. This amounts to 2.5 percent, which is worse than the median of 1.7% among currently serving senators as of August 2014.[49]

Congressional staff salaries

2011

The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Crapo paid his congressional staff a total of $2,762,770 in 2011. He ranked fifth on the list of the highest paid Republican senatorial staff salaries and ranked 27th overall of the highest paid senatorial staff salaries in 2011. Overall, Idaho ranked 15th in average salary for senatorial staff. The average U.S. Senate congressional staff was paid $2,529,141.70 in fiscal year 2011.[50]

↑The questions in the quiz are broken down into two sections -- social and economic. In social questions, liberals and libertarians agree in choosing the less-government answers, while conservatives and populists agree in choosing the more restrictive answers. For the economic questions, conservatives and libertarians agree in choosing the less-government answers, while liberals and populists agree in choosing the more restrictive answers.